You are not going to believe this!!

After arguing with my daughter last night *okie skips the details* I gave in. I decided to go to the store and get a pack of cigarettes. I just couldn't handle it any longer.

I get in the car and it is sprinkling. No big deal. Then the wind starts to blow. I get about 2 blocks from my house and it looks like hurricane winds. By the time I get to the place where I buy cigarettes it is raining sideways, there is lightening all across the sky, the wind is literally rocking my car. I get lucky and am able to park under the covered drive thru, which closes at like 7 pm and this is at like 10 pm. I see cars pulling off the road. I guess it was raining too hard for them to see. It starts to hail, not big, but still hail.

I am thinking "I am not getting out of the car in this *beep*", so I sit there looking at the other cars, watching the rain fall sideways and then I start laughing and looking out the window up toward the sky and start talking *okie knows if anyone was watching her at this point they likely would have called the men in the white coats* to God. I am telling God "FINE! JUST FINE! Seriously God if you didn't want me to have the cigarettes You could have just said so".

So it might be considered a little self centered to think the storm happened just so I wouldn't buy a pack of cigarettes. But ya know what....at this point what ever it takes to keep me from smokin is fine by me. Well okay maybe not WHATEVER it takes....but ya know what I mean.

I am still a bear

I actually had a pretty good day today.....until about 15 minutes ago.

I was on the phone with my Aunt Betty when my daughter came in the door. She moved quickly through the house and went to her room. I knew something was up. So I called her in after I got off the phone. OH MY GAWD!! HER HAIR IS FREAKING JACKED UP LIKE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE!! She let her boyfriends mom and friend try and die her hair blonde. UUHH.....NOT WORKING! My daughter is a mixture of Native American, African American, Caucasian with some Mexican thrown in. So what do you think happened.....YEP SHE HAS FREAKING ORANGE HAIR!! But get this it isn't orange all over, NNOOO it is just orange at the roots!! I swear I think the mother of the boy hates my daughter and just wanted to jack my daughter's hair up.

I better go to bed now before I kill something.........

Dam I want a cigarette.......to be honest.....right now I want a whole chittin pack!!!

It only took 2 days!

But I did get a card made. Actually I can say it took more than 2 days since I started this card last week with the base and the scraps. I decided yesterday to use the Studio G cupcake stamps on the card. I usually make more than one of a card. Not this time *okie thinks her mojo has gone out the window*.

Oh great a commerical for NicoDerm CQ just came on. I never noticed how many "stop smoking" commercials were on tv until now! I think it is like being pregnant....ya know you notice that EVERYONE is pregnant when you are, but only because you are paying more attention.

Oh back to the card. So yeah I only have one of these so ya know I will never use this one. Besides I think it is ugly *okie laughs at herself*. I used Jasmine for the photo corners, and they were actually some left over from another project. The ribbon and pink papers are Stampin Up that were left from the workshop I went to last weekend. The printed paper is just some scrap I had. I did stamp the happy birthday with a versamark ink on the light pink but don't think you can see it in the picture.

And just in case you are wondering.........YES I WANT A *google censors okie's next few words* CIGARETTE TO CELEBRATE GETTING THE CARD DONE!!

It's official...

quitting smoking can cause insanity. If you don't believe me just ask anyone that I have had contact with this last week and a half. I am able to hold myself together for work but after that.....well......not so much *okie sighs as a tear runs down her cheek*. I still have my ringer turned off on my phone since I never know what kinda things will spew from my mouth when I answer the phone. It is better this way...trust me.

My cousin Lisa somehow thinks I need to be posting to my blog about what I am thinking and such. I think she just wants to read about my misery, as if hearing me talk about it on the phone isn't enough.....NNOO NOT FOR HER!! SHE WANTS EVERYONE TO HEAR MY MISERY! *okie hopes her dear cousin Lisa chokes on the cigarette she is smoking*. Evidently she shared my quitting smoking with her brother Greg, who says I need to get the patch. I think from what she told him he is afraid I might be homicidal *okie wonders how cousin Greg knows okie so well when they rarely get to see each other*.

My friend Scrappinbee, aka Carmen 1, aka Thang 1 and newest aka Agnes is able to tolerate me. She laughs at me a lot and ignores a lot of what I am saying *okie now wonders if not smoking is making her more lucid and that Carmen has always ignored her or if it is just recently*. I must give Bee her props as she is willing to talk to me every day, which is more than I can say for most people in my life at this point. She puts up with my little exorcist episodes where terrible things find their way out of my vocal cords. I think even the tone might be a little, er....uhh...possessed sounding *okie shrugs* maybe Bee keeps a cross and holy water handy.

My friend ScrapperDelighted, aka Carmen 2, Thang 2, tries to distract me with virtual shopping. She isn't quite as brave as Bee. She waits for me to call her. She is supportive and does answer her phone, she doesn't try to rush off the phone either! *okie thinks Delighted is rather brave this way* She does try to give me encouragement about my decision.

My daughter is surviving through all this. She tries to stay away from me most of the time. I know I have hurt her feelings a few times. She will leave the house and text me "what is wrong with you". WHAT THE %$@K*&% &#** DOES SHE THINK IS WRONG WITH ME! Actually she knows.....she is truly being patient with me I think. I know she is proud of my decision as she has wanted me to quit smoking for years and years. When she is home she stays in her room most of the time or sleeps. I have to admit she is a pretty smart kid.

*okie sighs deeply* I want to make something. I look over at all my stuff and keep thinking I WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING! But it doesn't happen. I get over to my table, look at my stuff and then just walk away. Maybe I will try tonight....maybe just maybe I can make something...*okie walks over to her craft table wondering how well glitter cardstock will roll and smoke*

Still hanging in there...

It has been a week ago today since I smoked. I hate it. I want to smoke, especially after eating my evening meal. Uh..okay and when I am on the phone and on the computer, and...in the car. So basically anytime I am at home or on my way home LOL.

I would describe myself as a character if you were to combine the movies Sybil and the Exorcist at this point...uh that would be mood swings with some evil in them. I basically just walk around my house right now and do nothing. I do not want to craft! Which is very odd for me. I even thought the other day "I should just sell all this crap".

Anywho I hope all of you are doing well and hopefully soon I can get back to my somewhat normal self and start making some things again.

Just a quick note...

I haven't posted anything in almost a week. There is a reason. A very good reason. At least I think so. I decided to stop smoking. Not for health reasons....the way I figure it we are all gonna die anyway and I enjoy smoking. The reason I decided to quit is that I am too cheap! I went to buy a pack of cigarettes last Wednesday and the price had jumped from $3.28 to $4.55. I left the store without buying a pack and haven't bought any since then.

SOOOO...right now I am still going through some withdrawals. One of the times I loved to smoke was when I was at the computer so I am trying to avoid the computer most of the time right now.

I hope to be back creating and posting soon.

Happy Birthday using Tinkerbell

I finally finished one of the cards. I had a terrible time trying to decide on colors to use but that might have been because LOST was on and I can't seem to do things well when that show is on the tv!

Pink is the favorite color of the little girl whom the card is for so I tried to use it the most but didn't want it to be all pink. I found a sheet of paper I liked that had pink but some other colors that I could tie in.

I used Jasmine for the photo corners and Celebrations for the present. On the present I ran the "bow" through the xyron upside down and then added doodlebug glitter. I think it turned out nice. The scallop circle is a punch as are the circles. The sentiment is computer generated.


I used mounting foam to pop Tink, the present and the photo corners off the card. I think the little girl will like it. If not....well then she can just give it back!! HA HA HA

Cuttlebug A2 folder storage

I knew I would do it. I should have done it in the first place. Why I didn't I shall never know *okie thinks her mind is a mystery to her sometimes and causes her too much work*. But this morning I did it. I made a .cut file for the Cuttlebug A2 folders.

I made the CUTTLEBUG A2 PLANTIN version and the CUTTLEBUG A2 GEORGE version. Yes you heard right. I did one for the Expressions and one for the baby bug. I couldn't forget those that don't have the E *it wasn't that long ago that okie only had the baby bug*

I haven't gotten around to do the ones for the combo sets, borders or 2x2 squares. But I likely will eventually.

The assembly should be the same for both versions.

I inked this version just to decorate it more. I hand wrote the name of the folder on the tab. And YES....I will likely be redoing all the folders I made yesterday *okie needs serious help...mentally that is*. I want to make them colored coded. Ya know like orange for Fall, green for Christmas, red for Valentines, etc.

Here is the cut. The PS version will cut two to a 12x12 sheet of cardstock and the George will cut one on the baby bug. In the pictures I only did the first tab version but there are mats to make graduated tabs. The mats are all labeled. I also made a divider if you want to divide by theme and such.

There is a first tab, middle tab and last tab. So 3 tabs in all. I can't really but them in alphabetical order this way....but come on folks I am not that anal!! NO COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY!! *okie gets a stick to bonk anyone on the head that wants to comment on that*


This is where you score. The score lines will cut for you so no measuring if you don't want to measure. And if you do...well I don't remember the measurements. If they dont seem to line up right just score 1/8" of an inch away from the first score line. I have them lined up correctly on the .cut file but as you know sometimes these machines have their own ideas about things!

I did score one and then pretty much lined up with the second set of score lines, and it was 1/8" of an inch *okay okie is that anal, she will admit*.

I used a ruler and an embossing stylus to do my embossing, but use what you wish. This was just the method I used because it gives me a smaller score line than my Crafters Companion does.

Here is a side view of how the cuttlebug embossing folder will look in it's new home *okie thinks her little cuttlebug folder even smiled in it's new home*.

Due to this version being specific for the width of the A2 folders. Like I said I will try to get ones done for the borders, combo dies and the 2x2 folders. Maybe I will work on those files today and maybe I won't.

I still gotta get that dang Tinkberbell card done before the child turns 5! HA HA HA *okie so cracks herself up*

To emboss the front you will need to put the NONE tabbed side of the folder in the cuttlebug folder.

You will also have to emboss it sideways. But of course if you want to turn it the other way you can. It is totally up to you.

Don't worry you won't break your cuttlebug, I have embossed this way quite a few times and it works just fine. But if you are afraid then just do it the othe way.


This is how it looks after embossed *okie makes oohh and ahh sounds to herself*. Now once you have done this you can make labels for the tabs if you wish, in the edges and or the embossed image, the sky is the limit on how you want to decorate them.

I think this gives you a quick reference to what the folder looks like embossed and I truly do like this method. Just wish I would have done this yesterday and saved me all the measuring, cutting, corner rounding etc. *okie sighs* but ya know sometimes it is better to reinvent the wheel!

Cuttlebug storage

Is what I worked on last night and this evening. I think my new storage is much better and I can quickly grab what I need. I used some very large folders that my friend Linda gave me. She gave me a whole box of the 14 inch long folders some months ago. I have also used these to make my Cricut cart boxes that I posted back in the fall, or maybe it was summer.

I think I will like this system. The crates are easily obtained at Wal-Mart for like $1.25 so if I need more I can always get another crate. I decided to do them sideways so another crate can be stacked on top if needed. Remember you can click the pictures to make them bigger if you want to see more detail.

Here is the crate I keep them in. I did cut extra folders for when I get new folders. I made dividers for the folders and labeled them A2 Folders, Words, Holidays, 2x2 folders, Borders and Combo Sets.











This is a picture of what the regular A2 folders look like. I decided to emboss the front so I could easily see what design the folder makes. As you can see some of the folders are shorter in the front and I figured what the heck, not really going to see it all the time anyway. I will likely end up inking the edges eventually and maybe even the design.














Here are pictures of the border and 2x2 folders. I used part of the folder to make a wrap around to keep the little folders together. I added brads to keep the folders in place and keep them from just falling around everywhere. The border ones needed a few extra brads but I was able to get away with just one for the 2x2 folders. I didn't finish with embossing the 2x2 on the folder...basically because I was tired of messing with them! LOL














This last picture shows the way I did the combo dies. I added sides to the folders to keep them from falling out of the little folder. I did emboss on the front to give me a rough idea.

Here is another stamp storage option!

Sooo....ya'll know I am into reorganizing stamps right now. I had 2 sets of Martha Stewart Halloween stamps that Softbrn had sent me and thought I would unmount those. I wanted them with my Studio G halloween stamps, staying with the themes ya know and thought of what I could do. I had several packages of the page dividers. They are a sturdy plastic and thought they might work.

This one should be fairly easy to find the components since I got mine at Wal-Mart HA HA HA.







I did heat them in the microwave to loosen them up from the blocks and then pried the fronts off. I used my ATG gun to put the names of the stamps and then the images on the front and then put the stamps on the back. I didn't need any extra material on the back of the stamps as the sticky was enough to keep them on the sheet and I did try them on a block and they worked fine. I think if I used them a lot then I would need some extra sticky stuff around.

Why do I give in to my daughter? stupid Tinkerbell!

I decided to let my daughter pick out a cart...she chose Tinkerbell and Friends. This was a few months ago and I just now got around to cutting something from it. My neighbor Naomi needs a card for her great niece who will be 4 at the end of the month and Naomi asked if I had anything with a princess. I told her I had Tinkerbell and she said that would be perfect.

OMG! Tinkerbell is very naughty! Her eyes are a pain to do. I tried to cut them but let me tell you cutting Tink at 5.5 they just ARE NOT HAPPENING! *at least for okie* I then tried coloring in the eyes with gel pens and totally jacked her face up. She looked something similar to the Joker from Batman. I AM NOT KIDDIN!!

Tonight I looked at her and thought I had to do something to salvage that poor fairy. I was able to get the head and arms cut off with some Undu and then cut them again. I used one of the ugly faces as a template and drew at the edge of the eyes and mouth with a .01 black zig pen, and then the bottom of the mouth the same way on white cardstock. I then colored the rest of the face black except where her mouth and eyes went. I used a SU marker for the blue of her eyes and for her mouth. Now that I got it figured out for the smaller Tinks it might not be too bad.

I haven't gotten the card done yet. But at least I have the Tink done now.

So without further ado I present TINKERBELL! You can click the pictures for larger image.

Stamp Binders.......I LOVE THEM!!

My friend Albert so generously sent me a Tim Holtz stamp binder and some refills for my birthday, well and some other goodies but this post is about the binder. I loved it so much I ordered 2 at almost half the regular price. It took me almost two weeks to get them but they were totally worth it! I spent about 5 hours organizing my stamps.

Here is my new stamp organization. On the Tim Holtz binders I was able to write small descriptions on the tags. I can now look at the tags and grab the binder I need. I really had issues about breaking up sets but am trying to go by theme as much as I can as I do find it is easier to find things and I am less likely to overlook stamps I have. I also re-organized my Studio G stamps and put the series on the binder spines along with a small description. I like the small descriptions on the Studio G binders so I can grab those easily as well and not have to remember what is in which series. If you click the picture you will be able to see how I described the Studio G's a little better. I used Print Shop to do the spines and saved the file if I need to reprint them later on if I get more stamps *okie cracks up at the IF*. I think I do need to type the descriptions for the Tim Holtz binders, but will do that another day.

Here is the binder open. This binder has 13 sheets in it. I know in one of Tim's video's he said they hold up to 8 refills *okie thinks that Tim doesn't know how cheap okie is and will put as many as she can in one binder* but I got more than 8 in mine! HA HA HA I watched a video where Tim altered a binder with some of the Airdorandka paint daubers. I don't think I am brave enough to try that yet. He also said you could put rubons on the binders because "vinyl sticks to vinyl". Not sure I am brave enough for that either.

Here are two pictures of the binders open with the stamps displaying. Sorry the lighting isn't good. I didn't have my Sunlight Lamp of America on at the time and didn't realize until after I was editing the pictures. The stamps are so easy to grab now and I don't have to slide them in and out of pockets.

Awesome blog candy!!

Shannon over at Inkhearts is giving away some awesome blog candy!! So go over there and sign up! Okay I take that back...don't go sign up...if you do it will lessen my chances of winning!! HA HA HA

You guys know how I rave about Jet Pens

and it is where I purchase my white Signo UM 153 pens...well.....

I WAS FEATURED ON THEIR WEBSITE!! How exciting is that!! I made a project for their website and they featured it in the Penpedia section.

If you would like to make a card like this you can find the instructions for the LAYERED IMAGE CARD at Jet Pens. While you there check out the prices on their pens, personally I don't think they can be beat! They have lightening fast shipping and wonderful customer service!

Happy Birthday...a man card

I think this card would make a good card for a man for a birthday. I used some paper and 5.5 x 5.5 card blanks that my friend Carmen P. sent me. It was really hard not to add bling since I love bling!! I used rectangle nesties to put the sentiment on. I even decorated the inside which is something I don't usually do very often. The black cardstock on the inside is just some cheap stuff I got at Wal-Mart. This was a simple card really. I did use the argyle cuttlebug folder on the argyle strip and inked the edges...yes I am addicted to inking!!

Coaster Album

I made this little album last night...well finished it up today. These go together really quickly and while there isn't a lot of room to work with you can still decorate them up pretty nicely!! I used the Bind It All to put it together.

Sometimes we find inspiration for life...

In the oddest places!! I was directed to J.C. Hart Live the Life Video Contest where people were talking about why they loved the complex they lived in. I have to say I found the
"Ronkili35: Live the Life: Ron & Kili at Bayshore" video to truly be inspiring. Here is an older man living on his own with his dog. His apartment is fantastic looking so immaculate and nicely decorated. Where is the inspiration in that you say? Well according to the video Ron is bound to a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury!! Ron seems to still have a great feel for life and loves life!! You can tell he truly loves his dog *anyone who loves their furbaby is A OK in okie's book* and Kili even helped with the laundry!!

So if ya have a minute check out Ron's video *okie thinks the sound effects are rather hilarious* and give him a vote!

Gusset Square Envies

There are two sizes on this GUSSET SQUARE ENVIE. I did one for a 5 inch card and one for a 6 inch card. They are actually a little larger than actual 5 and 6 inches but I didn't want them to be too snug. The card in the picture is actually 5 1/8" square and it fits in there fine. It might actually hold up to a 5 1/4" card.

This file does require Plantin Schoolbook and the Cricut Expressions because of the size of the cut.




Here is the envie with the card all the way in and then closed. This will require extra postage because it is square. *okie things the post office just thinks of ways to nickel and dime us but she still loves the United States Post Office*










Step 1 and 2













Step 3 and 4












And you're done!! Some how this one seems easier than the other one but maybe it is because I didn't take as many pictures.

Gusset Envie for A2 cards

While I do have the Crafters Companion Enveloper and love it I thought it would be nice if there were a gusset envie on one of the carts. I looked and looked for a GUSSET A2 ENVELOPE on DS an couldn't find one so I made one! This requires Plantin Schoolbook and the Expressions to cut. Due to the size it can't be cut on the baby bug *okie sighs as she feels her baby bug is getting neglected*. There are two different envies on the file. One is for a plain edge flap and the other is for a scallop edge flap. The mats are labeled.

An A2 card is the 5.5 x 4.25 size card, or one sheet of 8.5 x 11 cardstock cut in half then folded in half.

As you can see here a pop dotted card fits nicely inside this envie.












DIRECTIONS if you have problems reading the directions you can click the pictures and make them bigger.

Steps 1 & 2














Steps 3 & 4












Steps 5 & 6














Steps 7 & 8














Steps 9 & 10